Future Starts Slow
by Synyster.A7X
Summary: Her father just died, Her boyfriend almost died, Her brother and Her two friends were just in a car accident,One of which turned into a vampire, Her Uncle is back in town claiming that her and her brother are Werewolf's. What else can go wrong in Mystic Fall's? DAMON/OC
1. Introduction to Ashlen

**Character introduction:**

_NAME_: Ashlen Lockwood

_AGE_: 21

_FAMILY _: Tyler Lockwood (Younger Brother), Carol Lockwood(Mom), Richard Lockwood(Dad),and Mason Lockwood(Uncle)

_BOYFRIEND_: Damon Salvatore

_BEST FRIEND(s_): Stefan Salvatore, Matt Donovan, Bonnie Bennett, Elena Gilbert, Caroline Forbes, and Alaric Saltzman (they're not BFF's, but they're close)

_CAR_: 1967 Chevy Impala (Couldn't resist)

_HAIR_: Long Brown hair

_EYE COLOR_: Brown

_LOOKS_: She looks like Ashley Tisdale with brown hair, if you don't know who that is I have a link to a picture on my profile.

AN: I'm going to start this story in the beginning of season 2 right after founder's, and I hope to take this story to season 3. I'm going to post a couple of the chapters today.


	2. The Catalyst

**The Catalyst**

The noise ripped through the air, making me scream in pain as my head felt like it was going to explode, I barley saw other people drop to the ground like me.

I felt a pinch in my arm, and a burn course through my body, the pain gradually disappeared as I felt my body shut down, and then I was out like a light.

I could feel the heat of the fire that surrounded me as I slowly came to consciousness. My body ached as I tried to lift my head up, to figure out where I am. I let out a groan as I rolled over onto my stomach, and used my elbows to push up off the ground. Once I managed to sit up, I blinked my eyes a couple of times to clear my vision, I looked around and saw numerous people scattered around the room, but two people caught my attention.

Damon was on one side of the room, still out cold. The other person was my Dad, but he didn't look like he was unconscious, I squinted my eyes through the smoke, and could barely make out the odd way his neck was twisted.

I sucked in a gasp to keep myself from crying, but I couldn't help the lone tear that fell down my face. Moving slowly, I began to crawl towards Damon, I had to climb over bodies that I didn't know were dead or alive. I finally made it to Damon, and I tried to shake him awake, and it looked like it was working.

"Damon…Damon! Come on wake up, we have to get out of here!" I shouted, and ended up coughing because of it.

His eyes slowly began to open, as he coughed a little. "Ashlen…"

I ran my hand through his hair as I looked down at him, "I'm right here Damon, but you have to get up, we have to get out here before this place collapses."

As if to prove my point a couple of feet away a stray beam crashed into the ground. I covered Damon's face with my body as debris rained over us and the room filled with more smoke.

I felt Damon's hand slowly push me off of him, and try to pull himself up. But he couldn't he just fell make to the ground and groaned.

I went to say something and help him move, but I sucked in some smoke, making my cough. I hoped I would stop, but I just kept coughing and coughing and no sooner was I gasping for breath. Just as I was about to pass out, the flames instantly died down, the door above the stairs busted open, and Stefan ran inside

He looked around until he spotted us, "Come on we have to go now."

He went to me and helped me up before helping Damon up. Stefan let Damon lean on him, and he grabbed me before speeding out of the basement. When we got outside Stefan let go of Damon and me, and went to Elena. I was about to fall to the ground when I felt Damon grab me and held on tightly, buring his head into my shoulder, me doing the same.

"Can you take me home?" I asked tiredly.

He nodded and scooped me up into his arms, before saying a quick goodbye and thank you, and sped to my house.

He slowly opened the front door, and quietly sped up to room. He walked slowly into my room, and gently laid me on my bed. He kissed my forehead, and went to walk out the room, when I grabbed his hand. I looked up at him, and slowly felt the held back tears from my Dad release.

"Will you stay with me for awhile. I really don't want to be alone."

Damon looked at me with a sorrowful expression. "Of course babe."

He moved the covers back and climbed into bed with me. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his head on top of mine.

I moved my head to his chest and started to sob into it. "He's dead Damon, my Dad is Dead."

Damon pushed me back from his chest, "What do you mean he's dead?"

"He was down there in the building, someone broke his neck." I sobbed.

"Ashlen…" He pulled back into his chest, and let me cry. He didn't say anything the whole time he only rubbed my back and held on tightly. That was all I needed.

(AN: I'm not doing the whole Damon kisses "Elena" thing.)

The next morning I woke up to Damon slowly brushing some hair off my face. I nuzzled it into his hand, and slowly opened my eyes. I smiled when I saw Damon looking down at me, a small smile on his face.

"Good morning, Beautiful." He said, and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.

"Morning." I sighed, sitting up.

"What do you want to do-," Damon was cut off by the sound of our phones going off. I chuckled, and moved to go get it.

"Hello." I said.

"_Ashlen, you need to get to the hospital. Tyler, Matt, and Caroline were in an accident."_ Bonnie said over the phone.

I gasped, "Are they ok?"

"_Tyler and Matt are but Caroline isn't in good shape."_

"I'm leaving right now, ill be there as fast as I can."

"_I'm on my way there so I'll meet you there."_

"Bye, Bonnie. Thank you for calling me, and thank you for last night. I'd be dead if you hadn't had helped." I said sincerely.

"_Your welcome. I wasn't going to let you die, your my best friend. I'll see you in a second, bye Ashlen." _She said as she hung up.

I looked over at Damon to see him watching me.

" I need to change into some clean clothes and then I'll meet you at the hospital, ok?" I asked.

"That fine I need to change too." He walked over to me and pulled me into a passionate kiss, before pulling away and leaning his forehead against mine.

"I love you." He said.

I smiled brightly, and pecked him on the lips, "I love you too."

"I'll see you later." He started to make his way towards the door.

"Ok, meet you there."

After having changed into clean clothes and making my self look like I had not almost been burned alive, I made my way to the hospital. I ran towards the emergency room, I went up to the reciptionish, and asked her were my brother was, but she wasn't answering me. Just as I was about to start screaming in her face, and give her a total beat down I heard someone say my name.

"Ashlen!"

I looked behind me and saw my brother looking over at me, I felt my body be washed over in a tidal wave of realif, as I made my way towards him.

"Tyler!" I shouted as I jumped into his arms.

We stood there for a couple of minutes, before I finally let him go.

"What happened?" I asked.

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know I was just driving and then out of no where this loud piercing noise just ripped through the ear and it felt like-."

I cut him off, "Your skull was going to explode?"

He furrowed his brows and looked at me confused, "How did you know?"

I sighed, "The exact same thing happened to me."

His eyes widened, "What?"

"I heard it to, listen Tyler…there's something I have to tell you." I said as I looked at the ground.

"What is it?" he asked as he placed his hands on my shoulders and gave them a brotherly squeeze.

"Tyler…Dad's…He's….Dad's dead."

**AN: Chapter one is done! YAY! Lol I hope to have chapter two also out by tonite, and if not tomorrow! I really appreciate reviews, so if you could kindly press the little button right here-**

**V**

**THANK YOU!**


	3. These Times are Hard

**These Time are Hard**

**I don't own anything from the vampire diaries other than Ashlen; she is the only thing I own.**

**AN: Just so it will be easier to write Ashlen into this episode I'm going to say that she is a part of the council. **

__

Tyler looked at me like I was crazy, "Ashlen are you okay? Are you feeling sick or something? There is no way Dad is dead, I mean we saw him a couple of hours' ago."

I knew that Tyler still had no clue about Vampires or anything so I had to make up a lie on the spot.

"Caroline's mom told me this morning." I told him.

Tyler just stood there for a second not moving, before he finally blinked and looked me straight in the eyes, "Are you positive?" he asked his voice cracking at the end if the question.

All I could do was nod, before I pulled him into another huge. Over his shoulder I saw Damon standing by Sheriff Forbes, he smiled at me and made a come here motion with his hand. I nodded my head and released Tyler.

"I'm going to talk to Caroline's mom and see how she is, ok? I'll talk to you later." I said as I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and then walking towards Damon and Sheriff Forbes.

"Hi Sheriff, how's Caroline?" I asked as Damon wrapped his arm around my waist, causing me to instantly relax against him.

She smiled lightly, "She's in surgery, it's ... they're doing everything they can."

"Well if you need anything please, don't hesitate to ask." Damon said sincerely.

Sheriff looked over at Damon and then looked at me, "I know I was going to have to do this but I was hoping I would get to do it later. Ashlen you know how we had gotten the Gilbert device, and we were going to use it to kill all the vampires?" she asked.

Damon tightened his hold on me, as I nodded my head.

The sheriff sighed, "Some of our guys thought your Dad was a vampire, they put him in the basement. I'm sorry Ashlen, he didn't make it."

I gasped, and made it look like I was about to cry.

"Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?" Damon asked as he wrapped both arms around me and pressed my head into his chest.

"No, no. A mistake was made, they said he dropped like the others when John's device went off but he… he couldn't have been a vampire, I've known him my whole life and now Carol Lockwood is gonna want answers and all I can think of right now is Caroline and ..." She started crying as she got to the end.

"It's okay." Damon said as he placed on of his hands on her shoulder, and gave it a heartfelt squeeze.

__

"Look there's Bonnie and Elena, let's go over there." Damon said.

I nodded, as let Damon lead me over to them.

"Is there something that you can do? Like a spell or something?" I heard Elena say as we got closer.

Damon thought that was a good time to intervene, "She doesn't know how, do you?"

Bonnie glared at Damon, "No, I don't."

"No, you don't because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that. " Damon smirked.

"Well, I can take down a vampire, that spell was easy to learn." Bonnie snapped.

Damon glared at her and then turned his attention to Elena, "_I_ can give Caroline some blood."

"No, no way." Elena said instantly.

Damon sighed, "No, just enough to heal her. She will be safe in the hospital and it will be out of her system in a day, she will be better Elena."

Elena hesitates, "It's too risky, I can't agree to that."

Bonnie looked at Elena, before she looked at me. I nodded my head as if to say that Caroline would be ok.

"Do it." Bonnie said, then when she sees the look on Elena's face she sighs, "This is Caroline were talking about. We can't let her die. Do it."

"If I do this, you and me, call truce?" Damon asked seriously.

"No. but you'll do it anyway, for Ashlen."

__

Elena and I were sitting down in the waiting room, while Damon was in Caroline's room.

"How come you were in the basement with all the other vampire's, I mean clearly you're not a vampire…Elena asked hesitantly.

I chuckled, "No Elena, I'm not a vampire. But for some reason the noise effected Tyler, my Dad, and Me. Two of us almost died, and one of us is already dead."

"Your Dad's dead?" Elena gasped.

I nodded, "I saw him down in the basement. At first I thought he was just unconscious like everyone else but from what I could see his neck was twisted in such a way that-." I had to cut myself off, or I would break down.

Elena looked at me sympathetically as she pulled me into a hug.

"We'll figure it out, I promise." She said.

I sniffled, and then cleared my throat, "So Stefan told Damon that Jeremy tried to kill himself, and that John was attacked last night."

She sighed, "Yeah, I came home after trying to find my dress from the parade but I guess someone stole, anyway I came home and John was on the floor in the kitchen, and when I went upstairs to check on Jeremy…he was out cold on the ground and I was so afraid. I called 9-1-1 and then I called Stefan, he said Jeremy didn't take enough pills to kill himself, so Anna's blood healed him."

"I can't believe Jeremy would try to kill himself." I said.

"You and me both." She stated.

Damon walked out of Caroline's room, and over to us, "Alright now that, that's over I have to go see your mom and the sheriff are you coming or going?"

"I'm going, my mom probably needs me to do something." I said as I went over to him and grabbed his hand, "You coming Elena?"

"No, I'm going to see how Stefan is doing, I'll call you later." She calls over her shoulder as she walks towards the door.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I really want to get out of this hospital, it gives me the creeps!" I said, and to prove my point I shivered.

Damon chuckled, "Let's get out of here then." He gave me a chaste kiss and led me out of the hospital.

__

We pulled up to my house, and I noticed that Tyler had to greet guests so I decided I would be a good big sister and help a brother out.

"Damon you can go talk to my mom, I'll be there in a little bit I wanna hang out with Tyler." I said.

"OK, don't be long," he smiled and gave me a kiss, "Love you."

I smiled, "Love you too." I made my way to Tyler and gave him long sisterly hug. "Why don't you go walk around, I'll stand guard for a little bit."

Tyler gave me a smile, "Use force if necessary, lieutenant."

"Roger that captain." I gave him a mock salute, and tried not to laugh out loud. He chuckled and walked inside the house. I turned around and greeted a couple of people who came up to me, I had been there for about 15 with a blue truck and I middle aged man steps out, and I instantly recognized him.

"So the black sheep returns." I stated.

"Ashlen?" Mason asks.

"Yep!" I said popping the "p".

He whistled, "What happened to you? In my mind you're 15 years old running around screaming about some boy band called N.S.Y.N.C!"

"Hey they were amazing in my defense, plus that's two years older than the last time you saw me Uncle Mason!" I smiled as I gave him a hug.

He chuckled and returned the embrace, "Good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too. Come on in to Le Casa Lockwood."

AN: Ok just to clear this up now Ashlen is 3 years older than Tyler so he's about 18'ish. I'll have another chapter out this week, and I really do appreciate Reviews! Plus if you have any idea about how to trigger Ashlen's cure that would be grateful! THANKS!


	4. Hot Blooded

**Hot Blooded**

After giving Mason to my mom, I found Tyler to help me greet people. I don't think I could stand there by myself any longer. Half of the people that came I didn't even know, and the other half I never talked to.

I was just about to head inside to find Damon when I saw Elena pull up. I smiled and walked towards her, "Hey Elena Thanks for coming. Come on in!"

She smiled at me, "Thanks."

__

**Damon's POV:**

I was walking around the Lockwood mansion trying to figure out where Ashlen had gone to. I went back to the front to see if she was still being a greeter but I only found Tyler.

"Hey Tyler, have you seen your sister?" I asked, looking around.

He nodded his head, "Yeah, Elena and her just went inside. "

"Alright, thanks." I gave him a quick nod, and headed inside the house again. I had just turned a corner, heading towards the bar to get another drink, when I saw Ashlen and a tall, brown haired man talking. I felt a spark of jealousy ignite in me as I practically stomped my way over to them.

"Hey Babe!" I exclaimed as I placed a heated kiss on her lips before pulling away and slinging my arm across her shoulders.

She smiled up at me, "Hey, Damon I would like to introduce you to my Uncle Mason, Mason I would like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Damon Salvatore."

I felt relief go through when I found out they were related, but I still didn't like the way that he was looking at her. I put on a fake smile and stuck out my hand, "Nice to meet you."

He nodded his head, giving me a small smile, "Same," he turned his head to Ashlen, "You never told me you had a boyfriend."

She shrugged her shoulders, "You never asked, plus you never call or visit, so how else was I supposed to tell you."

Mason put a hurt look on his face and a hand to his chest, "Ouch…"

Ashlen smiled and looked behind Mason; I followed her gaze and saw Elena talking with Bonnie.

"If you gentlemen will excuse me, I see my friends." she gave me a chaste kiss, before making her way over to the two girls.

I saw Liz nearby and decided I wanted some dirt on this Mason, "I'm sorry to cut this short, but Sheriff Forbes wanted me to meet her here, so if you excuse me." I said to him, he gave me a hard look but instantly covered it up with a grin.

"Sure go ahead, I need to go talk to Carol anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you Damon." He shook my hand.

I gave him a crooked grin, "Pleasure's all mine." When I reached the sheriff, I could see her and Caroline arguing, and then Caroline stomping away.

"Liz." I said as I gave her a head nod.

"Damon." She said, doing the same.

"So I have something to ask you. What do you know about Mason Lockwood?" I asked as I watch him converse with Carol.

"He's the Mayor's younger brother."

"Is he in the council, like John Gilbert when he rolled in?" I questioned with a slight sneer in my voice.

She shook her head, "He's is nothing like John, he's not an ass. But he's not a believer either. He wants nothing to do with council; he's too busy trying to find the perfect wave."

Maybe I wouldn't have to kill the guy then, "Alright, Thanks."

__

**Ashlen's POV:**

I followed Bonnie into one of the adjoining rooms, I noticed her on her cell phone. When she hung up she had a frightened look on her face.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?" I asked as I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah Bonnie, what's wrong?' I heard from behind me. I turned around and saw Elena, but for some reason I knew she wasn't her. I could tell there was something different.

Bonnie grabbed my hand and started to back, still keeping her gaze locked on "Elena".

"You're not Elena." She said and tightened her grip on my hand.

"Elena" smirked, "We haven't officially met, I'm Katherine."

My eyes widened in shock, "I know who you are."

Katherine glanced at me, "Of course you do, and you've probably got all my secrets by now from Damon. You're Tyler's older sister, right? One of Elena's BFF's? I've been putting all the pieces of Elena's life together. Isobel told me it was a bit of a puzzle. I do know who Jenna and Jeremy are and I met that delicious ex-boyfriend Matt, who's sweet on Caroline, and then there's you," she looked at Bonnie, "the vampire-hating Bennett witch. Did I do good?"

I glared at her, "I also know that you're a psychotic bitch."

Katherine snarled at me, and before I know it she had me by my neck up against the wall. I snarled right back in her face as I gripped her wrist in my hand and squeezed as hard as could, trying to pull it off my neck.

Suddenly she stopped and smiled at me, "Well, well I didn't know girls could inherit the curse.

I scrunched up my face in confusion, I opened my mouth to question her when the double doors next to us blew open giving us a clear view of all the guests, and vice versa.

Katherine looked at Bonnie, "Nice."

She released me, making me fall the floor, and started walking over to Bonnie when Stefan walked into the room.

"Katherine, leave them alone."

Katherine smiled at Stefan, "Okay." And she walked out of the room.

Stefan glanced at us, before following her out of the room.

Bonnie came over to me, "Are you okay?" she asked as she helped me up off the floor.

I looked at Bonnie, and shook my head, "What did she mean when she said I inherited the curse?"

She looked at me with pity, "I don't know but I promise were going to find out."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, "Come on lets go see if we can find Damon."

We walked around for a couple of minutes when we saw him outside with the real Elena.

"Damon!" I shouted.

He turned to us, and gave me a smile. But it was short lived when he saw the bruises forming on my throat. He sped over to me, stopping me in my tracks, I could see out of the corner of eye bonnie go over to Elena.

"What happened?" he asked as he lightly placed his hands on my throat running his thumb over a couple of the tender spots.

"Katherine is here." I said, Damon instantly tensed up.

"What do you mean, "Here"?"

I sighed, "I mean is she was posing as Elena and she's here at my house, and she's been invited in."

He ran a hand through his hair, "Well where is she now?"

"Stefan and her are around here somewhere." I said as I placed my hand in his.

He gave my hand a squeeze, "Let's go see if we can find them, before Stefan does something stupid."

__

We had found Stefan with a pipe of iron through his chest, after making sure he was ok, him, Elena, and Damon left to figure out why Katherine was back, while I tried to figure out whatever Katherine meant by "the curse".

I was in my Dad's office to see if he had books about our family history, when I saw a picture of Tyler, me, mom, and dad. Just because my father and I never got along didn't mean I wanted him dead, he was still my father. I ran my fingers over the picture a couple of times, before throwing it at the wall across from me; I swept my arm across his desk breaking everything on his desk.

Tyler walked through the door, "I heard some cra-, Ashlen! What are you doing?" he started coming towards me.

I dropped my head, a couple of tears gliding down my face, "I hate him, Tyler."

"Don't say that, you may have not liked him but you can't hate him he was our dad." He reached out and touched my shoulder, but I pushed him away.

Suddenly I was livid, "Let go of me!"

I tried to walk out of the room, but Mason walked in and pushed me against the wall.

"Get off of me!" I bellowed

"Ashlen! Hey!" He barked. (AN: no pun intended)

I tried to push him off of me, "I said get off of me!"

By this time both my Mom and Tyler we looking with shock on their faces.

Mason pushed me into the wall even harder, "Ashlen! Look at me, look at me," I turned my head to him and my eyes locked with his, "Calm down, settle down."

Slowly I could feel the anger dissipate, and I started to calm down.

"Oh God." My Mom murmured.

"What the hell…" Tyler uttered at the same time.

After I had calmed down, Mason led me over to the living room ad had me sit on the couch while he went to check on my Mom. I put my head in my hands, when I felt someone sit down next to me, they put their arm over my shoulder and I could instantly tell it was Tyler, he pulled me to him and rested my head on his shoulder. We sat in silence until Mason came back into the room.

He sighed, "Your Mom's out. I think she popped a couple of pharmaceuticals.

"I didn't mean to freak her out," I looked at Tyler, "Or you. I don't know why I get like this."

Mason chuckled, "It's the curse of being a Lockwood."

I tensed at the word curse, was that was Katherine meant I cleared my throat, "So how did you get the chill gene?" I said with a slight smile.

"I didn't. I've just learned how to manage it." He said as he crouched down in front of us.

"I don't want to be like this anymore." I breathed.

Mason grabbed my hands, "None of us do. That's why it's a curse, Ashlen.

__

I was getting ready for bed, when Damon sped into my room.

I jumped, "Damon, what are you doing?" I asked as I walked over to him.

I noticed that his eyes were red either from crying or his was drunk. I knew it was the later when I got closer because I could smell the booze.

"Damon, what's wrong?" I placed my hands on his shoulders.

Damon grabbed my hands and squeezed them tight, "I killed him, I killed Jeremy."

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**An**_:_** ok so this is the plan if you can already tell Ashlen is going to be a werewolf, now that doesn't mean I'm going to forget about Tyler, he'll be a werewolf but later on. But right now I want to focus more on Ashlen then Tyler plus it makes more sense that she would turn first cause she's older( at least in my head). Reviews are like Diamonds to me, so the more there are the more likely the next chapter will get out faster! **


	5. Grandma Lockwood's Walker

**Chapter 4**

"Ashlen….ASHLEN!" Mason shouted, making me shoot out of bed. My mind instantly went to Damon who fell asleep next to me; I slowly moved my hand to the spot next to me and to my relief felt it empty. I sighed and ran a hand over my face trying to rub the sleepiness out of my face.

"What Mason?" I opened my eyes to see Mason standing at the foot of my bed wearing nothing but basketball shorts and running shorts.

"Come running with me!" He stated with a smile on his face.

I looked over at my phone and saw that it was 5:00… IN THE MORNING!

"Mason its 5 in the morning, go ask Tyler." I groaned and threw myself back into bed and put the covers above my head.

He laughed, "That's exactly what Tyler said," he grabbed my blanket and threw it off my, before grabbing my feet and dragging me out of bed, "NOW, get up and come running with me, I swear it will make you feel better and forget about yesterday."

I groaned, "FINE!" I stomped over to my closet, and threw on a sports bra and some running shorts, and slide on my Reebok Zig Techs. I threw my hair in a messy pony tail and brushed my teeth, I figured I wait to take a shower after we ran, know that it would be redundant to take one before. I made my way down the stairs to see Mason stretching by the front door.

"Alright you got me down here, so let's go and get it over with." I said as I made my way outside.

I heard him chuckle as he jogged up beside me, "I take it you're not a morning person?"

"You'd be correct, now let's go!" I yelled as I ran off.

"Hey, wait for me!" he shouted as he ran after me.

"Hurry up slow poke, my boyfriend can run faster than you!"

**Damon's POV**:

"So I understand John Gilbert has left town. Have they found the vampire that attacked him?" Carol asked.

We were sitting in the living, waiting for Ashlen to get back from her run with Mason from what her mom told me.

"Well, the sheriff has asked me to take the lead on that and I promise you I will get to the bottom of it." I said hoping she wouldn't call my bluff, we already knew who attacked John.

She smiled, "Which brings me to my next subject. With Richard gone, I'll be acting as interim mayor until the elections and I'm going to need someone to spearhead out the council. I'd like that person to be you," She looked at a family photo on the coffee table, "plus I know that you'll keep Ashlen safe from the vampires, I can't lose another family member."

"Whatever you need Carol. As a founding family member it's something that's very close to me so I would be honored to help keep this town safe from vampires," I smiled, "and I would do anything to keep Ashlen safe. I love her."

She smiled warmly at me, she opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the sound of the front door opening and the sound of heavy breathing filled the entrance way. I looked over my shoulder and saw Ashlen and Mason standing, well Mason was standing Ashlen was bent over at the knees panting as sweat poured from her face and body. I have to admit I was a little turned on seeing her in her sports bra and shorts. She may have been sweaty but she was still as beautiful as ever to me. But my view was blocked when Carol got up and closed the doors to the living room.

I looked at Carol, "Is it safe to talk?"

She slight nodded her head, "It's my brother-in-law, Mason. He's still visiting. I just don't want him to hear us. He didn't want any part of the council when he lived here and I see no reason to bring him into it now."

Carol started to talk about other things, but I decided to see what Ashlen and Mason were talking about so I used my hearing to zone in on them.

**Ashlen's POV:**

We had just finished running and I was out of breath.

I looked up at Mason through some fallen strands of hair that fell out from my bun, "What was that? Like seven?" I asked panting.

He chuckled, "Six. I don't count the last one, you crawled it."

"What?" I asked, in disbelief.

"I think Grandma Lockwood actually passes you…in her walker!" he laughed.

I threw a hand in the air, and shooed him, "Yeah, okay. Shoes off, Mud and my mom don't mix."

"Yeah, Yeah." He walked to a nearby bench and sat down and started to take off his shoes.

"So all this anger and aggression you're talking about you notice a difference when you exercise?" he asked.

"Dude, I run every weekend and used to play soccer in high school all four years, I'm gonna say no." I scoffed.

"Do you have episodes? What happens exactly?" he questioned.

I rubbed the back of my neck, "Starts out normal, I get angry usually over nothing. I'm an angry person when it calls for it, but sometime I can't control it and I just go off."

He scrunched up his eyebrows, "Do you black out?"

I nodded, "Yeah, It's like I go blind with rage, I don't know how Damon manages to put up with me." I chuckled.

"Is there a pattern? Like once a month, only at night?"

What in the world was Mason talking about, 'only at night', "All I know is I loose myself? For that time I become something else and I hate it."

Mason nodded, "well I'm going to go get a shower and change, are you going to the carnival tonight?"

"Yeah probably."

"Alright all see you later."

Once Mason had made it upstairs, I went over to the bench and sat down leaning against the wall, I took off my shoes and closed my eyes, wishing I could just fall asleep right now. I felt like I was to nod off when I heard talking coming from the living room the doors were closed so I knew it was mom probably talking to some council member about the vampire 'problems'. But what surprised me was when I heard Damon voice, my face scrunched up in confusion, and I walked over to the doors. I knocked on the doors, and heard my tell me to come in, I smiled when I saw Damon, I walked over to him and kissed him, I felt him smile into the kiss before kissing back.


End file.
